Adjustable Storage System

ABSTRACT

An adjustable storage system provides a space efficient system of storage cabinets. The system includes a rectangular base platform with a pair of primary rails running along the length of the base platform. A plurality of primary storage cabinets is slidably engaged with the primary rails. Each of the primary storage cabinets has a pair of doors on one side and a handle on an adjacent side. A secondary rail running above the primary cabinets and parallel to the primary rails supports a plurality of secondary storage cabinets that are each slidably engaged with the secondary rail via a rolling mechanism. A rotating joint in the rolling mechanism allows the secondary cabinets to be rotated about the vertical axis for greater accessibility. The system can also include a counter top attached to a terminal end of the primary rails via a plurality of support beams.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority to Provisional Application No.61/655,492, filed Jun. 5, 2012.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage cabinet, and in particular,modular storage cabinets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Residential and commercial garages are commonly used for storage andwork spaces. As space is always limited, there is always a desire toconserve space while maximizing the utility of the space. Often, the useof substantial amounts of space for storage precludes the availabilityof adequate space for work station. Conversely, the creation of workspaces (e.g. work benches) often comes at the cost of decreased storagespace. Moreover, conventional storage systems (e.g. cabinets, closets,lockers) are often heavy and fixed, and do not make optimal use ofspace. Thus, there is a need for a space-efficient apparatus thatcombines work space and storage space in a versatile manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An adjustable storage system provides a space efficient system ofstorage cabinets. The system includes a rectangular base platform with apair of primary rails running along the length of the base platform. Aplurality of primary storage cabinets is slidably engaged with theprimary rails. Each of the primary storage cabinets has a pair of doorson one side and a handle on an adjacent side. A secondary rail runningabove the primary cabinets and parallel to the primary rails supports aplurality of secondary storage cabinets that are each slidably engagedwith the secondary rail via a rolling mechanism. A rotating joint in therolling mechanism allows the secondary cabinets to be rotated about thevertical axis for greater accessibility. The system can also include acounter top attached to a terminal end of the primary rails via aplurality of support beams. Thus, the system provides a series ofprimary and secondary storage cabinets that can be moved along rails asneeded to access particular cabinets. The ability to stack or nest thecabinets together allow for more efficient use of space because morecabinets can be fit in a space when they are stacked front-to-backinstead of side-by-side as is conventional.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the adjustablestorage system having a set of primary storage cabinets and a countertop.

FIG. 2 illustrates a frontal view of the adjustable storage system.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the adjustable storage systemwith the doors of a middle storage cabinet opened.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of theadjustable storage system having a set of secondary storage cabinetsabove the primary storage cabinets.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of theadjustable storage system with the doors of a middle secondary storagecabinet opened.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the adjustable storage systemshowing the rotation of the secondary storage cabinets via the rollingmechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the adjustablestorage system of the present invention. The cabinet storage systemcomprises primary cabinets 108-110, primary rails 120, base platform121, and counter top 130. The primary rail 120 is connected to, and runsalong, the edges of the base platform 121. The base platform is a flat,solid structure that is rigid and able to support considerable weightwithout deformation. For example, the base platform 121 could be made ofmetal or a hard, heavy-duty polymer. The base platform has two opposinglonger sides that are outlined by the primary rails 120, and twoopposing shorter sides. The primary storage cabinets are also preferablymade of a strong, rigid material such as metal. The primary rail 120 andits body serve as a base on which the cabinets may be moved about. Theprimary storage cabinets 108-110 are engaged with, and slide along, theprimary rails 120. The primary storage cabinets slide over the baseplatform 121, and there is a small gap or space between the bottom ofthe primary storage cabinets and the surface of the base platform 121 toprevent contact between the primary storage cabinets and the baseplatform.

For purposes of reference to assist in describing the invention, theprimary storage cabinets have a “front side” and an “outer side.” Thefront side is designated as the side of the cabinets that contains thedoors 113. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the front side of the primarystorage cabinets 108-110 faces, and is parallel to, the shorter side ofbase platform 121. The outer side of the cabinets is designated as theside that contains the handles 115 and is perpendicular to the shorterside of base platform 121 (i.e. parallel to the longer side of the baseplatform 121). As shown in the Figures and description below, theorientation of the cabinets and their mobility, allows for aconfiguration that allows for greater storage capacity for a givenspace. This is advantageous for maximizing storage space in residentialand commercial garages and similar settings.

Each primary cabinet includes a set of primary cabinet doors 113 whichmay be opened whenever ample space is available or made available bysliding the cabinets 110 along the primary rail 120 as necessary. Thecabinet doors 113 may be opened with the primary door handle 112. Thecounter top 130 (also referred to herein as “work bench 130”) isattached to the a terminal end of the primary rail 120 via the supportlegs 131. Because the base platform 121 and primary rails 120 areconnected, the counter top 130 is actually attached to the assembly ofthe base platform 121 and the primary rails 120. The counter top 130 isfurther supported by support beam 132, which extends from the base ofthe support leg 131 and the base platform 121. The counter top 130 maybe utilized as a storage space or as a work bench. When used as astorage space, items can be stored on top of, and beneath, the countertop 130. Because counter top 130 provides an open storage space, theuser would have quick and easy access to items stored on top of orbeneath it. Moreover, the counter top 130 could be used as storage aswell as a work bench by storing items beneath the counter top andleaving the surface of the counter top open as a work space. Thus,counter top 130 serves a dual purpose.

The sliding or movement of each cabinet is achieved by exerting a force(i.e. pushing or pulling) on the vertical sliding handles 115 attachedto the side of each cabinet 108-110, in order to move the cabinet in thedesired direction along the primary rail 120. As the cabinets 110 aremoved along the primary rail 120, portions of the rail body 121 becomeexposed, such as the open area on the left side of base platform 121. Asshown, the three primary cabinets 108-110 are nested or stacked togetheron one end (i.e. the right side) of the primary rail 120. Thisconfiguration provides an open area on base platform 121, i.e. betweenthe counter top 130 and storage cabinet 110. This space can be used tostore additional materials, particularly materials for which quick andeasy access is desired. The space can also be used and a standing areafor additional access to the counter top 130, which may be advantageouswhen using countertop 130 as a work station. In particular, this spaceallows multiple people to simultaneously utilize the counter top 130.Finally, the open space could be preserved (i.e. left empty) in order toallow easy access to the contents of primary storage cabinet 110.

FIG. 2 illustrates a frontal view of the cabinet storage system, whereinone primary cabinet (i.e. the leftmost primary cabinet 210) has beenmoved to the left along the primary rails 220, away from the other twoprimary cabinets 209 and 208. The movement of primary cabinet 210 isindicated by motion arrow 200 and is facilitated by the use of thesliding handles 215. This creates an open space on base platform 221that allows access to the middle storage cabinet 209. As shown, thismotion exposes an open area on the base platform 221. The user now hasthe ability to access the cabinet doors 213 of the middle cabinet whichimmediately faces the newly open area on base platform 221. The usercould also utilized the open space on base platform 321 for additionalstorage.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing the opening of the doors313 on primary cabinet 309. A user may access the interior space of theprimary cabinet by grasping the cabinet's door handle 312 and pullingthe cabinet door 313 open as indicated by the curved motion arrow 301.After accessing the interior space of a cabinet, to add or removeobjects, a user may close off that space once again by closing the doors313. The user can then slide the cabinets into a new configuration asdesired by grasping the appropriate sliding handle 315 to move thecabinets along the primary rail 320.

FIG. 4 illustrates of a frontal view of an alternate embodiment of thecabinet storage system having a series of secondary storage cabinets448-450 (collectively referred to as “secondary storage cabinets”) thatare located above the primary cabinets 408-410. The secondary storagecabinets are smaller than, and located directly above, the primarycabinets, and provide additional storage space for smaller items. Aswith the primary storage cabinets, the secondary storage cabinets arepreferably made of a strong, rigid material such as metal. The secondarystorage cabinets 448-450 are each movably engaged with the secondaryrail 460 via a rolling mechanism 470 that is attached to the top of thesecondary storage cabinets 448-450. The rolling mechanisms 470 includerail wheels 471 that allow the rolling mechanism 470 to roll along theinside of the secondary rail 460. Thus, it is the rail wheels 471 ofrolling mechanism 470 that are actually in contact with the secondaryrail 460. The rolling mechanism 470 contains a swivel joint that allowsthe top and bottom portions of the rolling mechanism 470 to rotate aboutone another. This allows the secondary storage cabinets 448-450 to berotated about the vertical axis as shown in FIG. 6.

The secondary rail 460 is supported at each end by a supporting wallmount 461 that is attached to the wall for structural support andstability. The secondary storage cabinets 448-450 each have a slidinghandle 455 that is used to move the respective cabinet alone thesecondary rail 460. As indicated by the motion arrow 402, the leftmostsecondary storage cabinet 450 has been slid or moved to the far lefttowards counter top 430 and away from secondary storage cabinets 449 and448. As with the movement of the primary cabinets 408-410, the remainingsecondary storage cabinets remain nested, while a space is formedbetween them and storage cabinet 450. In this configuration, a user canaccess secondary storage cabinet 449 as shown in FIG. 5 and also accesssecondary storage cabinet 450 as shown in FIG. 6.

As with the primary storage cabinets, the secondary storage cabinetshave a “front side” and an “outer side.” The front side is designated asthe side of the cabinets that contains the doors 453. Thus, as shown inFIG. 4, the front side of secondary storage cabinets 448-450 face, andare parallel to, the shorter side of base platform 421. The outer sideof the cabinets is designated as the side that contains the handles 415and is perpendicular to the shorter side of base platform 421 (i.e.parallel to the longer side of the base platform 421). As shown in FIG.4, the primary and secondary storage cabinets both face (and arestacked) in the same direction. The ability to stack or nest thecabinets together allows for more efficient use of space because morecabinets can be fit in a space when they are stacked front-to-backinstead of side-by-side as with conventional cabinets.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the opening of the doors onsecondary storage cabinet 549. A user may access the interior space of asecondary storage cabinet 549 by grasping the cabinet's door handle 552and pulling the doors 553 open as indicated by the curved motion arrows503. After accessing the interior space of a secondary storage cabinet,a user may close off that space once again by closing the doors. Oncethis action is completed, a user is free to nest or stack the secondarystorage cabinets together using the secondary sliding handles 555 tomove one or more of secondary storage cabinets 548-550 along thesecondary rail 560. The rolling mechanism 570 comprises a lower portion574, upper portion 572, and a rotating joint 573. The lower portion ofthe rolling mechanism 574 is connected with the top surface of thesecondary storage cabinet 550. The upper portion of the rollingmechanism 572 is connected with the rail wheels 571. The lower and upperportions of the rolling mechanism are rotatably connected (i.e. rotateabout each other) via the rotating joint 573, which thereby allows thesecondary storage cabinets to rotate about the vertical axis (i.e. inthe horizontal plane) as shown in FIG. 6. At each end of the secondaryrail 560, a rail bracket 562 is attached in order to connect thesecondary rail 560 to the wall mounts 561. The wall mounts 561 areconnected (i.e. bolted or screwed) to the wall, preferably the wallstuds. The rail brackets 562 also prevent the rolling mechanisms 570from sliding out of the secondary rail 560.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the adjustable storage systemshowing the rotation of the secondary storage cabinet 650 about thevertical axis as indicated by the curved motion arrow 604. As describedabove, the rolling mechanism 670 contains a swivel joint that allows theupper and lower portions of the rolling mechanism 670 to rotate aboutone another. This allows the secondary storage cabinets 648-450 to berotated about the vertical axis to provide easier access to thesecondary storage cabinets. The rotation of secondary storage cabinet650 is advantageous because in its current position access to the doors653 is somewhat hampered by the counter top 630. Also, opening the doorsand accessing the cabinet is difficult when the user is not facing thefront side of the cabinet. Thus, the ability to rotate the secondarystorage cabinets 90 degrees to face the user makes access easier and insome cases may eliminate the need to adjust the position(s) of one ormore secondary storage cabinets in order to have easy access.

While there have been described herein what are considered to bepreferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, othermodifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in theart from the teachings herein. For example, the relative dimensions ofthe device may be altered while keeping within the spirit and teachingsof the invention. It is therefore desired to be secured, in the appendedclaims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. An adjustable storage system comprising: a rectangular base platformhaving two opposing longer sides and two opposing shorter sides; a pairof rails attached to, and running along the length of the longer sidesof the base platform; a plurality of primary storage cabinets slidablyengaged with and resting upon the primary rails, wherein each of saidprimary storage cabinets has a pair of doors on a front side and ahandle on an adjacent outer side; wherein the front side of each primarystorage cabinet is parallel to the shorter sides of the platform base.2. (canceled)
 3. An adjustable storage system comprising: a rectangularbase platform having two opposing longer sides and two opposing shortersides; a pair of rails attached to, and running along the length of thelonger sides of the base platform; a plurality of primary storagecabinets slidably engaged with and resting upon the primary rails,wherein each of said primary storage cabinets has a pair of doors on afront side and a handle on an adjacent outer side; wherein the frontside of each primary storage cabinet is parallel to the shorter sides ofthe platform base; a counter top rigidly attached to a terminal end ofthe rails via a plurality of support beams, wherein the plurality ofstorage cabinets are all movable with respect to the counter top.
 4. Anadjustable storage system comprising: a rectangular base platform havingtwo opposing longer sides and two opposing shorter sides; a pair ofprimary rails attached to, and running along the length of the longersides of the base platform; a plurality of primary storage cabinetsslidably engaged with and resting upon the primary rails, wherein eachof said primary storage cabinets has a pair of doors on a front side anda handle on an adjacent outer side; wherein the front side of eachprimary storage cabinet is parallel to the shorter sides of the platformbase; a secondary rail running above the primary cabinets and parallelto the primary rails; a plurality of secondary storage cabinets slidablyengaged with the secondary rail via a rolling mechanism, the secondarystorage cabinets being positioned above the primary storage cabinets,wherein each of said secondary storage cabinets has a pair of doors on afront side and a handle on an adjacent outer side; and wherein the frontside of each secondary storage cabinets is parallel to the shorter sidesof the platform base.
 5. The adjustable storage system of claim 4wherein the rolling mechanism is comprised of an upper and lower portionthat are rotatably connected, thereby allowing the secondary storagecabinets to be rotated about a vertical axis.
 6. The adjustable storagesystem of claim 4 further comprising a counter top attached to aterminal end of the primary rails via a plurality of support beams. 7.An adjustable overhead storage system comprising: an overhead supportrail having a lower surface with a channel configured to reversiblyreceive a plurality of storage cabinets, wherein said support rail isconfigured to be affixed to a wall or ceiling; a plurality of storagecabinets slidably and reversibly engaged with the rail via a rollingmechanism that is connected with a top surface of each storage cabinet;wherein each of said storage cabinets has a pair of doors on a frontside and a handle on an adjacent outer side; wherein the storagecabinets are connected with the support rail such that the front of eachstorage cabinet faces the back of the adjacent storage cabinet; whereineach storage cabinet is movable with respect to each other storagecabinet and the rail; and wherein storage cabinets can be added orremoved from the rail according to the storage capacity needs.
 8. Theadjustable storage system of claim 7 wherein the rolling mechanism iscomprised of an upper and lower portion that are rotatably connected,thereby allowing the secondary storage cabinets to be rotated about avertical axis.